North Jersey Notes: One Day Waiting, Tommy London, Obsidian, and More

In a couple of weeks, my band Rahway will be opening for Puddle of Mudd up at a brand new venue in Easton, PA called One Centre Square on July 15. Also performing that night will be a band from Hudson Valley, NY called One Day Waiting, who have actually been added to a few other national shows that I’ve been working on during my day job as a concert promoter. Obviously, One Day Waiting has piqued my interest with the shows they’ve been added onto. So, I of course had to give them a listen, and I got to hear their 2015 release, The Key, which I thoroughly enjoyed! One Day Waiting is obviously not trying to reinvent the wheel of music. They’re your typical hard rock band with cool melodies, crunching guitar riffs, thunderous double bass and killer vocals. These ingredients are evident in songs like “Fear Itself,” “Rise,” “Deadly Voices” and “Worse Than Death.”

According to their bio, One Day Waiting is a hard rock band from New Paltz, NY, who formed around 2013, and is made up of four dedicated members who maintain a fusion of the melody of rock music with the intensity of metal. Singer Tyler Kray’s been rocking out since 2005, but never performed until 2011. He’s claimed bands like Disturbed and Drowning Pool as his influences and his singing style is evident of his influences with the incorporation of his heavy singing style and clean yet raspy vocals along with harsh screams. Tyler is responsible for writing the majority of the lyrics for One Day Waiting. Guitarist Nick Cozzolino was turned onto rock music at the age of 10, but has been in and out of bands since 2010. ODW seemed to be what he’s been looking for. His roots are Southern rock, hard rock and alternative metal. Drummer Griffin Silvestro taught himself drums at the age of nine. After experimenting with jazz and funk, he settled on metal after hearing Breaking Benjamin for the first time. Then, he set his sights on performing with a band. He originally joined One Day Waiting back in 2013 and played for two years until leaving to pursue school. He rejoined the band last December. Rounding out the band is bassist Zach Ballantine.

One Day Waiting continues to grow as time progresses. They bring the frantic raw energy at their concerts that empowers the audience to listen and feel their music. Since forming, they’ve released two EPs and have had the honor of sharing the stage with a plethora of national acts. On July 13, they will hit Upstate Concert Hall in Clifton Park, NY opening for Fuel and Marcy Playground, and then on July 15, they will be at One Centre Square with Puddle of Mudd and Rahway! For more info on One Day Waiting or to hear what they sound like, visit OneDayWaiting.bandcamp.com.

NORTH JERSEY NOTES UPDATES:

Still trying to figure out “Who the f**k Tommy London is?” Well, most of you already know who he is besides being BFFs with Lady Gaga. He’s the lead singer of The Dirty Pearls from NYC. Well, Tommy, who presents the “$5 Rock Show” of local bands at Arlene’s Grocery in NYC, will be dropping his debut solo CD, Emotional Fuse, in the coming months. I’m not sure the status of The Dirty Pearls, but this CD will be all Tommy and his hair. For more on Tommy London’s new CD, Emotional Fuse, visit TommyLondon.com.

I almost forgot to mention a band that I got a chance to share the stage with last month for that Save The Music benefit for my old high school in Saddle Brook, NJ. I’m talking about the opening band, Obsidion. They were awesome! A little heavier than my band is used to performing with, but these kids were young, tight, and full of piss and vinegar. The best part is that I got to watch them grow up! Guitarist Alex Boragine and his twin brother, drummer Chris Boragine, are the nephews of one of my best friends, and one night, their father showed me a clip of Alex and Chris performing a Killswitch Engage song on his phone, and I immediately said, “Your boys have to form a band!” They did, and they are killer! You can check Obsidion out now at soundcloud.com/obsidian-10.

And finally, my brothers Dave Alexander and Tony Ortiz, from the band Behind The Bullet, have opened their very own recording and rehearsal studio called Level Up in Long Island City, NY. I’ve known Dave and Tony since their days in the band Dead Letter Box and we used to rehearse down the hall from each other in Clifton, NJ. Their initial plan was to create a recording studio and environment where they can be the most creative and productive. After years of experience in creating successful bands of their own, they decided to open up their studio to the public and use their talent and know-how to help other bands reach the same success they’ve seen. Their new facility offers album and demo recording and production, photography for albums, promo or live events, actor and artist headshot photography, session drums for album or demo, drum lessons and trademark services for local business or artists. If you’re in the need of these services, contact Dave or Tony at levelup.nyc.

That’s all for now! If your band is from North Jersey, and you want some exposure, send your press kits to Arts Weekly, c/o Tim Louie P.O. Box 1140, Little Falls, NJ 07424, or you can email me at tim@theaquarian.com, where you can also let me know where you’re performing next!

Just remember….We’re all in the same boat, so every little bit of exposure counts!